Kickstarter of the Week: Start the Still (Fred and Amy Groth of HelloCello)

To kick off 2013, we’d like to see more craft distilleries in Sonoma, so we’re starting by supporting Start the Still. Start the Still is the brainchild of Fred & Amy Groth, owners of the boutique specialty spirits producer HelloCello, who want to bring brandy to Sonoma. They already make the delicious Limoncello di Sonoma, FigCello, OrangeCello and... Read More

To kick off 2013, we’d like to see more craft distilleries in Sonoma, so we’re starting by supporting Start the Still.

Start the Still is the brainchild of Fred & Amy Groth, owners of the boutique specialty spirits producer HelloCello, who want to bring brandy to Sonoma. They already make the delicious Limoncello di Sonoma, FigCello, OrangeCello and Hooker’s House Bourbon, Rye and General’s Reserve, so we already know they have the chops to make some serious spirits. It’s that their current still simply can’t handle this level of production, so they’re raising funds to build a new, state of the art, handmade custom brandy still.

And you’re not only going to get good brandy – I hope Crave Local gets to sample a bottle soon – but this Kickstarter is a karma boost for putting surplus fruit to good use in California.

To quote Fred and Amy:

We realized there is a lot of wine, wine pumice and surplus fruit that currently goes to waste in close proximity to us in Sonoma. By distilling these products into specialty spirits we can reclaim and recycle something that would have been lost and create something truly special and tasty.

Help deal with waste, create some brandy, and feel better about how you’re starting 2013 with one click. Check out their Kickstarter at Start the Still, and help restart Sonoma’s brandy revolution.

Thank you, Start The Still! Save some pear brandy for us!

UPDATE: As of January 22, 2013, Fred and Amy got their wish, with $22,689 being pledged-over and above their original $15,600 goal! We can’t wait to hear more from this power duo, and see what great things come out of the new still they plan to build with this injection of capital.